Friday Things

1. Einstein says hello, hello! He and his brother are very excited that there are some snow showers in the forecast for today. No accumulation, but we’re all ready to start seeing the fluffy stuff fall!

2. We are hosting Thanksgiving again this year, so I need to work on my menu this weekend. I might give it a couple of tweaks, but it’s remained pretty much the same for the last handful of years. If it’s not broke, don’t try to fix it, right?! What are some of your Thanksgiving must-haves?

3. I started watching a few YouTube hair and makeup tutorials in an effort to be a little more put together when I leave the house (do you have any favorites/recommendations?). More so for my hair, since it’s usually either just washed and dried (no styling whatsoever) or in a ponytail. However, on the makeup tutorials, I’ve noticed that like 95% of them include using fake eyelashes. Is this a widespread thing now? I don’t think I foresee myself jumping on that bandwagon.

5. One of the things that I have been secretly craving since I got pregnant is Pop-Tarts. I don’t think I’ve had one since college, but I have ogled them each and every time I’ve walked down the cereal aisle at the grocery store, but never caved. Then last week, a high school friend who is also pregnant posted on Facebook that she was craving Pop-Tarts and went out and bought them. I guess I succumbed to peer pressure, because my next trip to the store after that, I totally grabbed a box, although I still haven’t eaten one. My favorite was always frosted brown sugar cinnamon… yours?

7. I mentioned last week that I had already ordered our Christmas cards… well, they arrived over the weekend and they are already assembled and stamped with return address labels! All that’s left to do is sign them and send them off after Thanksgiving. It feels so great to be ahead of the game on at least one thing ;-)

8. We have been receiving a rather steady flow of baby gifts since our baby shower invitations went out a few weeks ago; I love peeking my head into our spare bedroom and see them all sitting there! Every once in a awhile I sit on the glider (the only thing assembled at this point!) and practice my gliding ;-) I’ve also started to put together a packing list for my hospital bag… 31 weeks now, things are getting more real by the day!

9. If you have a dog, this is an invaluable resource – what to do if your dog is choking. It goes through the steps to take to dislodge something from their throat, and illustrates how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on a dog.

So I’ve seen a few homemade pop tart recipes circulating the blog world lately, specifically one over at sally’s baking addiction that looks so yummy, long and tedious, but seriously yummy. And the brown sugar was my fav too :) So makeup/hair stuff, I love thesmallthingsblog and her videos and then I also have been watching a few of these beauty youtubers, I like essiebutton’s videos and reviews, she’s really has a classic look and she does these posts on her blog with 5 product looks, so super simple. Over here in Milwaukee we have seen a little snow and my golden has been LOVING it, she rolls around and tears it up out of excitement. She’s a snow puppy for sure :) Good luck with your turkey day planning!

HI there, just poppe in the see what’s new, and read your comment about favorite makeup/hair sites. I have a friend that is a pro makeup artist and has a blog. It’s http://www.classycosmetics.blogspot.com/ Her name is Jenny and she’s just amazing!!! Check it out and let me know what you think!!! Happy Friday!

I craved Pop Tarts when I was pregant too!! Brown sugar cinnamon all the way! I never eat that kind of stuff (and felt bad eating junk when I was pregnant) but found some organic “pop tarts” by Nature’s Path. Definitely still junk food and a whole long list of ingredients, but I though of it as a guilt free indulgence! That was also what I wanted after I finally gave birth (the hunger I had after that day was insane!) but then the craving passed and I haven’t wanted one since. Strange! Enjoy satisfying your cravings ;)

Here’s something they definitely don’t tell you about being in the hospital- you will sweat, alot, because of all the hormonal changes once you give birth. And also, the rooms in the maternity ward are kept very warm (like 70’s) for the baby. So bring light clothes to wear because you will be hot! I also brought my boppy (for breast feeding), some lip stuff (again, hot and dry!) my iphone, laptop for netflix, and some nursing tanks. I was in for 4.5 days though (c-section) so I brought a lot to keep me occupied! oh, and smores pop tarts are the best! I just saw a recipe on facebook for nutella poptarts… good lord!

I watch makeup videos more than I care to admit. Try Kandee Johnson, Pixiwoo, MakeUpbyCheryl and Lisa Eldridge. These are my favorite. They to everything from everyy day looks, to Smokey eyes for a night out to Halloween makeup.

Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone. I bought a box -ok maybe 2- of Pop-Tarts on mark down. They were somewhat justified since they were our favorite, frosted brown sugar, and marked down. A few days later my Husband came in with 2 more boxes, frosted strawberry-2nd favorite. Not pregnant. No excuses. Blame the price.

Good Morning! I’m just weighing in on a few things here . . . first off, Spoon Corn Bread and Sweet Potato Casserole are always on my Thanksgiving menu, beside all the usuals, of course. I swear my family would be happy with just those! Next, I stopped using false eyelashes in high school. I swear by Laura Mercier’s eyelash curler. Learned about it a few years ago in InStyle. There’s nothing like it, not even the heated ones. Then I use a good primer (Dior), and finally 2 coats of my favorite black mascara of the moment. I’ve been asked if I’m wearing false eyelashes! Lastly, eat the Pop Tarts if you’re craving them (my all time fav was Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon). This magical time of your life only lasts for a very short time. Embrace it! :D By the way, when my boys were young I carefully limited the amount of sugar they ate. They were each allowed to pick either Pop Tarts or a sweet cereal that I would never allow them for eat for breakfast, as their sweet snack, instead of cookies. It was their choice and a way for them to start learning about healthy food choices. Have a happy day!

I absolutely LOVE Pop Tarts, and always have. My favorite is frosted raspberry, followed by frosted blueberry and frosted cherry. I have to say, some of the others I’ve tried I find are just too sweet (if you can believe that!). I used to keep a box in my desk at work “for emergencies”, but realized last week that I’m out. Hmmm… I think I know what I’m having for breakfast! ;)

I highly recommend a little old hair product called Silkworks Professionals from jolly old Walmart of all places!! It smoothes and straightens my hair and works so much better than all the fancy and pricy products I see in hair salons. It lasts forever and smells great!

Just dropping by to get your cookie cake recipe (I love it!) and I read your Friday things posts. You MUST try Younique’s 3D Mascara; it is naturally based without all the harmful chemicals. In fact, the entire line of makeup is all natural or naturally based. My eyelashes look like I am wearing extensions except it is only mascara! I would be happy to send you some as a gift to try but first go to http://www.youniqueproducts.com/HeatherFlanagan to read more about it. Best part is you can order online and have it sent right to your house. I grew up in Johnstown, PA and an old high school friend is the one who introduced it to me. Heather :)

“practice my gliding” :))) I did not know about the iPhone tricks, and thank you for the dog Heimlich link. No false lashes here either, but a good volume mascara. I’ve found many volume mascaras to be “what? that’s it? Meh!” for the first applications, but give it a few weeks to kick in, and you’ll get the wow results. Currently loving the one starring Penelope Cruz (and there was an instruction manual with 12 drawings that came in the mascara box, I was very happily shocked :) ). TGIF! So happy to see your pups. Einstein’s teeth are so so white! (Duke too, but he’s a pup)

Love your Friday posts, Michelle! Especially pics of your beautiful dogs. I would like a Golden Retriever one of these days…I totally know where you’re coming from about the fake lashes. I’m not a fan either and there are tons of volume boosting mascaras out there that give the same illusion (almost!). My friend, who is a near-beauty “guru” recommended to me L’Oreal’s Miss Manga in very black and wow!!! So happy with the results and don’t have to deal with gluing lashes to my lash line (yikes!). Also, I’m not very trendy and up-to-date on the best products for hair and makeup and how to style my hair (love ponytails, too and messy buns), so I discovered Itsjudyslife on YouTube and have followed quite a bit of her tutorials and they’re so easy to follow and with gorgeous results. She ranges from drugstore to high-end brands, so you’re not stuck spending a lot of money on pretty much the same results. Check it out, you may really like some of her tutorials and styles. She offers a lot of holiday looks, as well. Btw, I so envy y’alls snow flurries! In Texas it’s been chilly and wet :(